Zach

My name is Zach and I am 16 years old. On 13 May 2020 I suffered an AVM which burst, causing seizures and a brain bleed. I was rushed to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and placed in an induced coma for 20 days. While in the coma I also had two aneurysms that created more brain pressure, pneumonia and a brain infection.

I was at the hospital for a month in total before moving to Fiona Stanley hospital for four months. When I first woke up, I could not do anything, including eating, so feeding tubes it was. My injury basically was like losing my left side, so I could not walk or use my left hand and had to work on using my brain as well to not go off on a tangent..

At the start I was in an electric wheelchair and used a sling to support my left hand so it did not drag. I did physiotherapy and occupational therapy as well as school at the Learning Centre. This was all very hard and I fatigued quite easily.

Gradually I got to the point where I could take steps and not have a sling, so when I Zach S RS PATIENT STORY went home on 21 September I walked out of the hospital. I also used the wheelchair at home and had a travel chair so we could go out and school, which I did in term four of year 11.

For about six weeks I had lots of outpatient occupational therapy and physiotherapy. I now have NDIS and do both those weekly as well as Pilates with a neurophysiotherapist.

I am now in year 12. I achieved all As for semester one and hope to do the same at the end of the school year. I was on my learner’s plates when the injury happened and I have been cleared to learn to drive again by my occupational therapist, but the vehicle will have to be modified for me. I also went to my year 12 school ball. I walk with an AFO and still get tired, but I doing physiotherapy and occupational therapy every day gives my body the best chance to fully recovery.